ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — a song
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com